The present invention relates to steam ovens, particularly for the kitchen and collective organizations.
Gas convection and direct heating ovens have been known for some years, including an oven enclosure containing the material to be heated, and at least one gas burner placed inside the enclosure. A turbine for stirring the atmosphere inside the enclosure driven by an electric motor ensures internal convection. A pipe for discharging the burnt gases places the inside of the enclosure in communication with the external atmosphere. An intermediate duct connects the gas burner to external equipment including an air booster and means for producing and feeding into the intermediate duct an appropriate air-gas mixture, the air coming from the air booster and the gas from a gas intake pipe. The fact of disposing the burner inside the oven enclosure provides a very rapid rise of temperature in the oven which, associated with the forced convection provided by the turbine, makes possible very rapid heating of the material contained in the oven.
The preparation of food in such an oven however tends to dry out said food and to form a crust on the surface which disturbs cooking. To avoid this drawback, a second family of ovens has been developed for some years, also including an oven enclosure and a gas burner being disposed outside the enclosure and heating it by conduction through its casing. A steam generator produces steam which penetrates into the oven enclosure through a steam intake pipe. A forced convection turbine stirs the atmosphere contained in the oven enclosure. However, this type of oven, because of the external position of the gas burner does not provide a temperature rise as rapid as in direct heating gas ovens; furthermore, heat energy losses inevitably occur, part of the energy being discharged to the outside atmosphere without serving for heating the enclosure and the material which is contained therein.